Systems, methods, and apparatuses for a reusable dropper and bottle assembly and replacement capsule for personal care product dispensing system

ABSTRACT

The present application relates to the design of a class of beauty products that facilitates personalized replenishment. The physical product is a new type of dispenser comprising a pump assembly and a sleeve or housing for containing a replaceable cartridge of a specific type of product, such as a foundation. The cartridge is an air-less cartridge that may be releasably secured to the dispenser or pump assembly such that a user may remove the cartridge from the dispenser or pump and replace the cartridge with another cartridge containing the same or a different product.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present application relates to dispensing systems for dispensingfluid personal care products including hair care, skin care, body care,and cosmetic products and in particular to dropper bottle typedispensing systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A wide range of personal care products, including hair care, skin careor skincare, body care, cosmetics, foundation, concealer, primer, and arange of other beauty products, that consumers replenish frequently. Asused herein, personal care and beauty care are used interchangeably tocover the afore-mentioned broad range of products. Often personal careproducts are selected based on consumer experience with trying suchproducts and achieving a certain result. For these products, rather thanseeking newness and variety, consumers purchase the same product forconsistency in application and results. Due to all the packagingtypically used with personal care products, replenishing a consumer'sproduct is expensive. High-end brands can have especially expensivepackaging and e-commerce brands may be burdened with the extra expenseof shipping costs based on volume and weight. This means the consumerends up paying more to replenish personal care product supply.

What is needed is a product and in particular a personal care productdispensing system that provides for less expensive replenishment whilemaintaining an elevated consumer experience that is both seamless andfun. Such a product would increase customer loyalty to the brandproviding it by dramatically decreasing the cost to the consumer ofreplenishing product while maintaining the same or an improved customerexperience.

Such a replenishment mechanism would also enable the brand to launch asubscription service. In beauty today, we see “trial” subscriptionservices where the consumer receives recurring shipments of mysteryboxes with different product assortments. However, we do not see anycompanies that are successful in selling either single-brand orfixed-product subscriptions.

Another challenge in the beauty industry today is sustainability. Thelarge amount of packaging used for beauty products is of increasingconcern within today's political climate and among younger consumers.

What is needed is a product that can deliver an equally elevatedconsumer experience while requiring less packaging and being moreenvironmentally friendly. Many consumers demand the products theypurchase are “eco-friendly.”

Finally, to achieve their desired transformation for various occasions,consumers use multiple liquid/gel personal care products at the sametime. For example, they might use primer and foundation, foundation andconcealer or two types of foundation. They might use both products atthe same time to get results on different areas of their face, or theymay use one product on some occasions and another product or combinationof products in other cases. They likely use these products up at adifference cadence.

What is needed is (1) a way for the consumer to replenish products basedon their individual needs and the cadence at which they use up eachproduct and (2) the ability to carry a single product that can deliverthe benefits of multiple products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a product that supports ongoing replenishment.It makes it less expensive for a company to replenish the consumer'sproduct and, therefore, it makes it less expensive for the consumer tocontinue buying the same product. This increases loyalty. Thereplenishment mechanism also has a lower environmental impact,resonating with consumer values. The replenishment experience isseamless and fun for the consumer. Finally, the reusable dropper bottledispenser may be used to support a variety of personal care productssupplied in a common replacement capsule format. This means thatconsumers can exchange capsules supported by the reusable dropper bottleas they desire to enjoy use of the base dispensing mechanism withmultiple product types.

When the consumer uses up or depletes personal care product, theconsumer can easily replace them. For example, the consumer may open thedropper bottle at the top cover, which may be completely removable in athreaded manner. The consumer then removes the spent capsule of productand replaces it with a new capsule of the same or other type of product.The consumer then replaces the cover on the dispenser and proceeds touse the dropper bottle dispenser as before. The process of replacing thecapsule provides an improved configuration that is mess-free andspill-proof. The capsules in this manner provided added benefit as theyare comprised of significantly thinner material than the reusabledropper bottle and are therefore significantly less expensive to makeand less expensive to ship. They also have a reduced environmentalimpact. To make it easy for the consumer to refill the productcorrectly—specifically to make sure they are replacing a used capsulewith the same type of product—the capsules may be color-coded or themedor designed with different patterns that are easily recognizable.

The present invention may be applied to a wide range of personal careproducts. The dropper bottle and replaceable capsule system can beapplied to any liquid or gel product.

The present invention also provides for a personal care productsubscription service that is the first of its kind. This subscriptioncould be for any type of frequently replenished liquid or gel makeup orskincare or hair care or other personal care product. For example, for asubscription leveraging the reusable dropper bottle and capsule systemof the present invention, the consumer would initially receive thereusable dropper bottle and a set of capsules, each with a differenttype of product. The consumer would then subscribe to receive regulardeliveries of capsules, which they would use to refill the reusabledropper bottle. The cadence of the deliveries could be customized to theconsumer's usage speed for both types of products. Due to the reusableconfiguration of the dropper bottle, the more limited packaging of thecapsules, the shipping costs would be relatively low compared toshipping a traditional product case. The reduced shipping costs plus thereduced packaging costs would enable this service and product to beprovided to consumers at a lower cost relative to a subscription serviceusing traditional product packaging. The consumer experience wouldremain elevated due to the ease and fun of replacing the productcapsules. Also, while prior dispenser systems might allow for manualrefilling of a dispenser, this is often messy and detracts from userexperience. Also, many personal care products are not available inlarger “refill” formats and are not possible.

In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a dropper bottleliquid dispenser adapted to removably receive a replaceable capsule anddispense a liquid personal care product contained in an installedcapsule, the dropper bottle dispenser comprising: a body having a topand a bottom and defining an interior space, wherein at least a portionof the body is transparent or semi-transparent to reveal at least inpart the interior space, the top having an opening; and a dropperassembly comprising a top component and a dropper tube with an outletdisposed opposite the top component, the dropper tube defining aninterior channel for receiving and dispensing liquid via a dropper tubeoutlet/inlet upon actuation of an actuator mechanism housed in the topcomponent, the top component configured to be grasped by a user forremoval of the dropper assembly from the body for dispensing liquidcontained in the dropper tube; wherein the body opening is configured toreceive the dropper tube therethrough and is further adapted to receivea capsule containing personal care liquid and to be supported and housedwithin the body.

The first embodiment dropper bottle liquid dispenser may be furthercharacterized in one or more of the following manners and features:wherein the actuator mechanism is spring-biased and is self-actuatedupon a user rotating the top component to draw in a pre-determinedamount of liquid contained in the interior space of the body; whereinthe actuator mechanism comprises a depressible pump adapted to causespersonal care product liquid to flow into the dropper tube and to exitthe dropper tube upon further action; further comprising a retainingcover adapted to be received on to the top of the body, the retainingcover comprising a threaded interior circumference serving as a firstconnector and adapted to matingly couple with an oppositely positionedthreaded neck or shoulder serving as a second connector disposed on thetop, whereby the retaining cover may be removably attached and securedto the top by threading and screwing the first and second connectorstogether; wherein the retaining cover further comprises a first neckextending upward from the top of the cover and defining an openingconfigured to receive therethrough the dropper tube, the first neckhaving a first neck threaded portion, and wherein the dropper topcomponent includes a threaded interior portion, whereby the first neckthreaded portion and the dropper top interior threaded portion areadapted to be threaded and screwed together to secure the dropper to thebody with the dropper tube contained at least in part in the interiorspace of the body; wherein the retaining cover further comprises asecond neck extending downward opposite the first neck and having asecond neck threaded portion adapted to threadedly engage with athreaded portion of a capsule, whereby the second neck threaded portionand the capsule threaded portion are adapted to be threaded and screwedtogether to secure the capsule to the retaining cover and whereby thedropper tube is inserted through the first neck, through the second neckand into an interior space of the capsule; wherein the capsule isdisposed within the interior space of the body through the top openingand the assembled dropper assembly and retaining cover are secured tothe dispenser bottle body via the first and second connectors; whereinthe capsule comprises an outer cap to conceal and protect the top of thecapsule and to prevent spillage of liquid contents of the capsule priorto use, the outer cap being removeable from the capsule to provideaccess to the capsule threaded portion for secure attachment to theretaining cover; further comprising a sifter disposed at or near theopening for clearing liquid from the outside of the dropper tube whenthe dropper assembly is removed from the bottle body to prevent spillageand mess; further comprising a bottom cover for attaching to andprotecting the bottom of the bottle body, the bottom cover having a flatportion to promote stability of the dropper bottle dispenser when placeon a flat surface; wherein the capsule includes indicia disposed on theoutside of the capsule indicating the personal care product contained inthe capsule and with the capsule contained in the bottle body allowingthe user to view the indicia through the transparent or semi-transparentportion of the body to ensure user awareness of personal care liquiddispensed.

In a second embodiment, the present invention provides a personal careliquid capsule adapted for use with a dropper bottle dispenser, thedispenser having a housing adapted to removably receive a capsule and adropper assembly adapted to dispense a liquid personal care productcontained in an installed capsule, the capsule comprising: a body havinga top and a bottom and generally defining a personal care productreservoir and configured to be received within a correspondinglyconfigured dispenser body, the top including an opening through which adropper tube is received into the reservoir and is in fluid contact withthe personal care product contained in the reservoir; a connectorportion disposed at the top and adapted to matingly secure the capsuleto the dispenser housing with the capsule received within the dispenserhousing; and a cover disposed over the opening and adapted to preventspillage of the personal care product contained in the reservoir priorto installation of the capsule in the dispenser housing, the cover beingremoveable from the capsule to provide access to the connector portionfor secure attachment to the dispenser housing.

The second embodiment dropper bottle liquid dispenser may be furthercharacterized in one or more of the following manners and features:wherein the capsule connector portion is a threaded neck and thedispenser housing includes a retaining cover having an oppositelythreaded connector, whereby the retaining cover and the capsule aresecured together by threading and screwing the threaded neck and theoppositely threaded connector together; further comprising a sifterdisposed at or near the capsule opening for clearing liquid from theoutside of a dropper tube when a dropper assembly is removed from thecapsule to prevent spillage and mess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, referenceis now made to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements arereferenced with like numerals. These drawings should not be construed aslimiting the present invention but are intended to be exemplary and forreference.

FIG. 1 provides front views of exemplary reusable liquid dropper bottledispenser, which contains personal care liquid products for dispensing,and a self-contained replacement capsule in accordance with a firstembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A-2E provide a series of views illustrating capsule and bottleexchange process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 3A-3C provide a series of views illustrating a process fordispensing liquid contained in the bottle via a dropper assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a dropper assembly according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of a capsule assembly according toan alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective partial exploded view of a dropper bottleassembly according to an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 7-9 provide a series of cross-section views of complimentarybottle collar, capsule body, and dropper assembly according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of a replacement capsule assemblyaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the replacement capsule assembly ofFIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of an assembled reusable dropper bottledispenser without a capsule according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section view of an assembled reusable dropper bottledispenser with capsule disposed therein according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described in more detail withreference to exemplary embodiments as shown in the accompanyingdrawings. While the present invention is described herein with referenceto the exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. Those possessingordinary skill in the art and having access to the teachings herein willrecognize additional implementations, modifications, and embodiments, aswell as other applications for use of the invention, which are fullycontemplated herein as within the scope of the present invention asdisclosed and claimed herein, and with respect to which the presentinvention could be of significant utility.

FIG. 1 illustrates a system for dispensing and replenishing liquidpersonal care products, such as beauty care, skin care, hair care,cosmetics, or other personal products. With reference to FIG. 1, frontviews of exemplary reusable liquid dropper bottle dispenser 100 and aself-contained replacement capsule or cartridge 200 are shown andrepresent a first embodiment of the present invention. Much like Keurig®K-cup coffee pods, the replacement capsule 200 is only usable whenplaced in the reusable dispenser bottle 100. For eco-friendly enjoyment,the capsule assembly 200 is made preferably of plastic-PCR post-consumerrecycled materials and may itself be recycled after use orreturned/refilled.

Reusable liquid dropper bottle dispenser 100 includes a body or housing104 having a top and bottom and that generally defines an interior space105. The interior space 105 contains personal care liquid products fordispensing via dropper assembly 150 including dropper tube 152. The bodyor housing 104 may include a transparent or semi-transparent ortranslucent portion to allow a user to visually inspect the contents ofthe liquid within interior space 105. As shown here, no capsule isdisposed within interior space 105, which may initially be provided tothe user unfilled and for use with a capsule, may be filled with liquidproduct, may include a capsule installed, or may be provided with acapsule for insertion by the user. As shown the dropper assembly 150 issecured to a top portion or cover or collar 120 of the body or housing104 and may be removed from the housing, e.g., unscrewed if threaded,for use by the user in dispensing product contained in the bottle 100.The dropper assembly includes an actuator for

Self-contained refillable or replacement capsule 200 includes a capsuletop or cover 220 and a capsule body 204 that defines an interior liquidreservoir or cavity or space 205 in which liquid personal care productsis stored. Cover 220 may be removeable by threaded attachment to thebody 204 or may be a pop-off type and may be discarded upon opening ofthe capsule. Preferably, when screwing a threaded cover 220 onto thethreaded neck 206, a protrusion and recess pair are provided, or similarmeans, to provide a “click” when the cover is fully and securelyattached to the capsule. Preferably an airtight seal is formed when thecover 220 is connected to the capsule. In addition, a wrap or other sealmay be placed about the circumference of where the cover 220 meets thecapsule body 204.

With the cover 220 removed, the capsule 200 may be placed within body104 of re-usable dispenser 100 as described in detail below. Capsule 200may be refillable or disposable and may be returned to the retail ore-commerce source for a credit or other incentive to avoid wasteassociated with the container 200. Branding/text indicia 210 may be anadhesive label or otherwise affixed to the capsule body 204 and mayinclude brand identifier, content description, application information,or other messaging visible when the capsule is placed into housing 104via transparent portion made of glass or other transparent material. Inthis manner, the capsule 200 serves to inform the user as to the natureof the personal care product available for dispensing by the dispenser100. In this manner the user knows exactly what she/he is about to useto prevent inadvertent application of product. When capsule 200 isinstalled in dispenser 100, there is preferably an annular gapseparating the body 104 of the bottle from the body 104 of the capsule.The bottle body is preferably glass and transparent to provide clearview of the capsule and any marking, e.g., brand logo or identifier,directions, product description, on the circumference of the body 104 ofthe capsule when assembled.

FIGS. 2A-2E provide a series of views illustrating capsule and bottleexchange process according to an embodiment of the present invention. Asshown, at FIG. 2A the collar or top 220 is rotated or unscrewed in acounterclockwise fashion to remove the collar or cover 120 from thehousing or body 104. In this example, the dropper assembly 150 isconnected to the cover 120 and is also removed from the housing. Asshown at FIG. 2B, the capsule top cover 220 is removed from the capsule200 by rotating in a counterclockwise manner by way of threaded neck orshoulder portion 206. With the outer cap 220 removed from the capsuleassembly 200, the threaded neck 206 is revealed. Alternatively, the topor cover 220 may be disconnected from the capsule assembly 200 by otherwell-known means. As shown at FIG. 2C, the dropper tube 151 (not shown)is placed inside reservoir 205 of capsule 200 and collar or cover 120 ofthe dropper bottle 100 is attached to the replacement capsule 200 byrotating the collar in a clockwise fashion shown by the arrow.Embossments or other protrusions and/or slots or recesses may beprovided in the components to result in a “click” sound or feel or otheruser feedback to confirm proper alignment and securement of thecomponents. As shown at FIG. 2D, the dropper/collar/capsule assembly150/120/200 as assembled is placed inside body 104 of the bottle 100 andis visible in part via glass or transparent housing or body 104. Thecollar 120 is then rotated in a clockwise manner to secure the dropperassembly/collar/capsule assembly to the housing 104. As shown in FIG.2E, the replacement capsule 200 is assembled with the dropper bottle 100with dropper assembly 150 to result in a replenished personal caredelivery system and dispenser.

FIGS. 3A-3C provide a series of views illustrating a process fordispensing liquid contained in the fully assembled dispensing system100/150/200, As shown dropper assembly 150 is rotated counter-clockwisethe loosen the dropper assembly 150 from the collar/cover 120 anddispenser 100. In this exemplary embodiment, when unscrewing the top 154of the dropper assembly 150 from the cover/collar 120 and housing 104 atthreaded neck 126, the self-actuated actuator 160 pops up and causesliquid contained in the reservoir 205 to be drawn into the channel 151formed in dropper tube 152. In use, the user presses on the actuator 160to cause the liquid contained in the channel 151 to be dispensed atoutlet 153 for application by the user as desired. In one manner ofoperation an embossed or raised/recessed set of features is include onone or more of the housing, dropper, or capsule components to generate a“click” or other feedback to alert the user the collar and dropperassembly are in place and secured to prevent spillage, leakage or otherunwanted waste of liquid contained in the capsule. The collar or cover120 should be capable of being easily disconnected from the housing 104for exchange and insertion of the replacement capsule but should beotherwise securely closed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective exploded view of a dropper assembly 150according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown thedropper assembly 150 includes a dropper tube 152 defining a channel inwhich liquid is drawn into and expelled from for dispensing duringintended use. As shown an actuator 160 is biased by spring 158 and isreceived into an interior defined by inner cap 156, which is itselfreceived into an inner space formed by outer cap 154. Vacuum vents orexhausts 162/164 are provided to facilitate operation of the actuatormechanism 160/158/156/154. In this example, the actuator isself-actuating and provides an auto-loading actuator-engine that drawsin personal care liquid contained in the reservoir 205 into channel 151of dropper tube 152. By rotating the outer cap 154 in a desireddirection, the spring-biased actuator top 160 is caused to displace andliquid drawn into the tube 152 via opening 153. The collective assemblyprovides an automatic loading actuator-engine for dispensing liquid fromthe dropper.

FIG. 5 is a perspective exploded view of a capsule assembly 140according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention in whichthe reusable bottle dispenser 100 is provided with a capsule 140 asopposed to containing personal care liquid directly in interior space105. The capsule 140 includes a sifter 144 and a threaded neck 146extending upward from capsule body 142. As described herein, the capsule140 is secured to the bottle body collar or cover 120 by threadedlyscrewing neck 146 into an interior threaded portion 122 (see FIG. 7) ofthe collar 120. The capsule body 142 may be made of plastic-PCR(Post-Consumer Recycled) material and may be metalized to provideenhanced appearance and labeling. An alignment embossing or marking 148may be provided to help confirm proper positing of the capsule 140 whenconnected to collar 120, which may have a corresponding alignmentembossing or marking 128.

FIG. 6 is a perspective partial exploded view of a dropper bottleassembly 100. The bottle body 104 may be made of glass and may betransparent or semi-transparent to permit ease of view of contents,e.g., capsule 140 or capsule 200, contained within interior space 105defined by the body 104. With the capsule 140 of FIG. 5 secured to thecollar 120, the collar is then secured to the bottle body 104 at theexterior threaded body neck or shoulder 106. In this example, a bottomprotective cover 102, e.g., made of plastic-PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled)or other suitable material, protects the glass body 104 from damage andincludes a flat bottom surface for stability of the bottle assembly whenresting on a flat surface.

FIGS. 7-9 provide a series of cross-section views of a complimentarybottle collar 120 (FIG. 7), a replacement capsule 200 (FIG. 8), and adropper assembly 150 (FIG. 9) according to a replenishable dispensersystem embodiment of the present invention. As shown in cross-section,bottle collar or top cover 120, e.g., made of plastic-PCR, includes araised neck having external threaded portion 126 adapted and configuredto threadedly connect with dropper assembly 150 at compatibly threadedinterior portion 155 of dropper over cap 154 shown in FIG. 9. Collar 120also includes a downwardly projecting neck 122 having an interiorthreaded portion for securing the collar in screw on fashion to capsule200 at compatibly configured neck 206 having external threaded portion.

A sifter 244 is disposed between the capsule opening 207 defined by theneck 206 and the opening 130 defined by the downwardly extending neck122 of the collar. The sifter 244 may be made of a flexible material(e.g., plastic-PCR, rubber, elastic polymer, or neoprene) with adiscontinuity formed therein, e.g., an “X-shaped” or “plus-shaped” cut(shown more clearly in FIGS. 5 and 10), that permits the dropper tube151 to extend through the sifter 244 and into the capsule reservoir 205when the dropper assembly 150 is secured to the collar and capsuleassembly 120/200. The sifter helps “wipe” or deflect liquid productcontained in the reservoir 205 when the dropper assembly is removed fromthe bottle during application of product. This helps avoid waste andmess during use and limits unsightly and unwanted product residue fromaccumulating on the dropper and dispenser assembly. In addition to thesifter, the capsule may include a film or foil to cover the capsule neckopening to protect the contents of the capsule. The sifter may beremovable to then allow removal of the foil or film cover for use andthen the sifter replaced over the neck opening 207.

In addition, A feedback mechanism, such as embossed projection/recesscombination, may be provided in the collar 120 and capsule 200 toconfirm secure attachment when screwed together, e.g., causes a “click”sound with the parts are secured together.

With reference to FIG. 8, a replacement capsule 200 is shown incross-section and having an interior reservoir or cavity 205 for holdingpersonal care liquid product and as defined by the housing or body 204and terminating at the top at an outwardly threaded neck 206. Thecapsule 200 is attached to the bottle collar 120 in threaded/screwedfashion at the mating threaded portions of the respective necks 206 and122. With a dropper assembly 150 of FIG. 9 connected to the collar 120,the dropper tube 151 is received into the reservoir interior space 205through opening 207 and sifter 244.

With reference to FIG. 9, a dropper assembly 150 is shown incross-section view having a dropper tube portion 151 that defines aninternal channel 152 for receiving and deploying liquid personal careproduct via opening 153 during use of the dispenser. The dropper tube151 may be made of glass or other suitable material capable of repeatedremoval and insertion into the bottle dispenser 100. At the top of thedropper assembly 150, an outer over cover or cap 154 may be generallycylindrical in shape with an inner hollow portion configured to encirclean inner cap 156, which includes a threaded interior portion 155 forsecuring the dropper assembly 150 to the collar 120 at oppositely andcorresponding threaded neck 126. A dropper actuator 160 may be springloaded or biased by spring 158 and may be released such as by rotatingthe over cap 154 to align tabs or dogs or protrusion 162 with a slot orthe like to allow the actuator to “pop-up” or otherwise deploy andthereby cause a predetermined amount of liquid contained in reservoir205 to be drawn into channel 152 of tube 151. The engine or actuator 160activates the dropper and “pops out” when the user slightly turns ortwists the over cap 154. In this manner, the actuator automaticallyloads liquid into the dropper tube 151 for ease of operation and toinsure a predetermined and desired amount of product is used. The usermay then push the actuator 160 to dispense the liquid drawn into thetube 151 at opening 153, e.g., squirt or release the liquid onto thepalm of the user's hand or onto the user's scalp or other body part forapplication of the personal care product.

FIG. 10 is a perspective exploded view of a replacement capsule assembly200 for use in the dropper bottle dispenser 100 of the presentinvention. As shown, replacement capsule 200 is self-contained and maybe sold as a product separate from the dispenser 100. Personal careliquid product is stored in an interior space (205) defined by capsulebody 204 for dispensing by dropper bottle dispenser 100. The capsuleassembly may be in whole or in part disposable and may be reused as arefillable reservoir of product, e.g., returned for refill purposes orrefilled directly by the user. For example, sifter 244 may be configuredto be removably placed on the neck or shoulder 206 for removing duringrefilling and replacement on the capsule for reuse. The assembly 200includes a removable outer cap or top 220, which includes, in thisexample, a weight 212, and an inner cap or top 210, which includes arecess area for receiving the neck 206 of the capsule when attachedthereto. Alignment embossment or marking 208 provides a means for theuser to properly align the capsule with the collar 120 of the bottleassembly as described herein.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the replacement capsule assembly200 of FIG. 10. As shown, replacement capsule assembly 200, for use inthe dropper bottle dispenser 100, is self-contained and adapted to storeand transport personal care liquid product stored in the reservoir orinterior space 205 defined by capsule body 204. The assembly 200includes a removable outer cap or top 220, which includes, in thisexample, a weight 212, and an inner cap or top 210. When the capsuleouter cover or top 220 is removed it may be discarded or retained forfuture use and the capsule may be connected to bottle collar 120 andinserted into bottle body or housing 104 for use as a completed dropperbottle dispenser assembly. As shown, sifter 244 is disposed on the neckor shoulder 206, which is received within a recess formed within theinner cap 210. As shown the threaded portions of neck 206 and inner cap210 are configured to be mated together and secured by rotating orscrewing the cap assembly on the capsule. A seal or other tamper proofcomponent may be included to promote consumer confidence in quality andsafety of the personal care product contained in the capsule 200.

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of an assembled reusable dropper bottledispenser 100 without a capsule 140/200 contained therein. In thismanner, the dropper bottle assembly may be sold or provided in an emptycondition for receiving a capsule containing personal care liquidproduct or it may be provided with liquid product contained in theinterior space 105 defined by the body 104. As described herein, thedropper assembly 150 is secured to the collar 120 via threaded neckcounterparts 126 and 155 and the collar 120 is secured to the bottlebody 104 via threaded counterparts 106 and 124. As assembled droppertube 151 is in large part or substantially disposed within interiorspace 105 of body 104. A portion of the dropper tube 151 extendingthrough dropper over/inner cap 154/156 is disposed within the collar120. When the engine or actuator 160 is deployed, a vacuum or pressuredifferential occurs in the space defined by the channel 152 and via 159to cause liquid to be drawn into the channel 152. Exhaust or vent holesor openings (162/164 shown in FIG. 4) facilitate the process of drawingliquid into the dropper tube 151.

FIG. 13 is a cross-section view of an assembled reusable dropper bottledispenser with a capsule 200 contained therein. In this manner, thedropper bottle assembly may be sold or provided with liquid productcontained in the capsule interior space 205 defined by the capsule body204. As described herein, the dropper assembly 150 is secured to thecollar 120 via threaded neck counterparts 126 and 155 and the collar 120is secured to the bottle body 104 via threaded counterparts 106 and 124.As described herein, the capsule 200 is secured to the collar 120 viathreaded neck counterparts 206 and 122. As assembled dropper tube 151 isin large part or substantially disposed within interior space 205 ofbody 204. A portion of the dropper tube 151 extending through dropperover/inner cap 154/156 is disposed within the collar 120. When theengine or actuator 160 is deployed, a vacuum or pressure differentialoccurs in the space defined by the channel 152 and via 159 to causeliquid to be drawn into the channel 152. Exhaust or vent holes oropenings (162/164 shown in FIG. 4) facilitate the process of drawingliquid into the dropper tube 151.

While the invention has been described by reference to certain preferredembodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes could be madewithin the spirit and scope of the inventive concept described. Also,the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specificembodiments described herein. It is fully contemplated that othervarious embodiments of and modifications to the present invention, inaddition to those described herein, will become apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description andaccompanying drawings. Thus, such other embodiments and modificationsare intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims.Further, although the present invention has been described herein in thecontext of particular embodiments and implementations and applicationsand in particular environments, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that thepresent invention can be beneficially applied in any number of ways andenvironments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims setforth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spiritof the present invention as disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dropper bottle liquid dispenser adapted toremovably receive a replaceable capsule and dispense a liquid personalcare product contained in an installed capsule, the dropper bottledispenser comprising: a body having a top and a bottom and defining aninterior space, wherein at least a portion of the body is transparent orsemi-transparent to reveal at least in part the interior space, the tophaving an opening; and a dropper assembly comprising a top component anda dropper tube with an outlet disposed opposite the top component, thedropper tube defining an interior channel for receiving and dispensingliquid via a dropper tube outlet/inlet upon actuation of an actuatormechanism housed in the top component, the top component configured tobe grasped by a user for removal of the dropper assembly from the bodyfor dispensing liquid contained in the dropper tube; wherein the bodyopening is configured to receive the dropper tube therethrough and isfurther adapted to receive a capsule containing personal care liquid andto be supported and housed within the body.
 2. The dropper bottle liquiddispenser of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism is spring-biasedand is self-actuated upon a user rotating the top component to draw in apre-determined amount of liquid contained in the interior space of thebody.
 3. The dropper bottle liquid dispenser of claim 1, wherein theactuator mechanism comprises a depressible pump adapted to causespersonal care product liquid to flow into the dropper tube and to exitthe dropper tube upon further action.
 4. The dropper bottle liquiddispenser of claim 1, further comprising a retaining cover adapted to bereceived on to the top of the body, the retaining cover comprising athreaded interior circumference serving as a first connector and adaptedto matingly couple with an oppositely positioned threaded neck orshoulder serving as a second connector disposed on the top, whereby theretaining cover may be removably attached and secured to the top bythreading and screwing the first and second connectors together.
 5. Thedropper bottle liquid dispenser of claim 4, wherein the retaining coverfurther comprises a first neck extending upward from the top of thecover and defining an opening configured to receive therethrough thedropper tube, the first neck having a first neck threaded portion, andwherein the dropper top component includes a threaded interior portion,whereby the first neck threaded portion and the dropper top interiorthreaded portion are adapted to be threaded and screwed together tosecure the dropper to the body with the dropper tube contained at leastin part in the interior space of the body.
 6. The dropper bottle liquiddispenser of claim 5, wherein the retaining cover further comprises asecond neck extending downward opposite the first neck and having asecond neck threaded portion adapted to threadedly engage with athreaded portion of a capsule, whereby the second neck threaded portionand the capsule threaded portion are adapted to be threaded and screwedtogether to secure the capsule to the retaining cover and whereby thedropper tube is inserted through the first neck, through the second neckand into an interior space of the capsule.
 7. The dropper bottle liquiddispenser of claim 6, wherein the capsule is disposed within theinterior space of the body through the top opening and the assembleddropper assembly and retaining cover are secured to the dispenser bottlebody via the first and second connectors.
 8. The dropper bottle liquiddispenser of claim 6, wherein the capsule comprises an outer cap toconceal and protect the top of the capsule and to prevent spillage ofliquid contents of the capsule prior to use, the outer cap beingremoveable from the capsule to provide access to the capsule threadedportion for secure attachment to the retaining cover.
 9. The dropperbottle liquid dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a sifter disposedat or near the opening for clearing liquid from the outside of thedropper tube when the dropper assembly is removed from the bottle bodyto prevent spillage and mess.
 10. The dropper bottle liquid dispenser ofclaim 1, further comprising a bottom cover for attaching to andprotecting the bottom of the bottle body, the bottom cover having a flatportion to promote stability of the dropper bottle dispenser when placeon a flat surface.
 11. The dropper bottle liquid dispenser of claim 1,wherein the capsule includes indicia disposed on the outside of thecapsule indicating the personal care product contained in the capsuleand with the capsule contained in the bottle body allowing the user toview the indicia through the transparent or semi-transparent portion ofthe body to ensure user awareness of personal care liquid dispensed. 12.A personal care liquid capsule adapted for use with a dropper bottledispenser, the dispenser having a housing adapted to removably receive acapsule and a dropper assembly adapted to dispense a liquid personalcare product contained in an installed capsule, the capsule comprising:a body having a top and a bottom and generally defining a personal careproduct reservoir and configured to be received within a correspondinglyconfigured dispenser body, the top including an opening through which adropper tube is received into the reservoir and is in fluid contact withthe personal care product contained in the reservoir; a connectorportion disposed at the top and adapted to matingly secure the capsuleto the dispenser housing with the capsule received within the dispenserhousing; and a cover disposed over the opening and adapted to preventspillage of the personal care product contained in the reservoir priorto installation of the capsule in the dispenser housing, the cover beingremoveable from the capsule to provide access to the connector portionfor secure attachment to the dispenser housing.
 13. The capsule of claim12, wherein the capsule connector portion is a threaded neck and thedispenser housing includes a retaining cover having an oppositelythreaded connector, whereby the retaining cover and the capsule aresecured together by threading and screwing the threaded neck and theoppositely threaded connector together.
 14. The capsule of claim 12further comprising a sifter disposed at or near the capsule opening forclearing liquid from the outside of a dropper tube when a dropperassembly is removed from the capsule to prevent spillage and mess.